-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five people were injured -- three seriously enough to require hospital treatment -- when an escalator at a commuter rail station in New Jersey suddenly went into high-speed reverse Monday morning , authorities said .

The incident occurred at the Exchange Place station in Jersey City , and the three injured and taken to hospitals had possible back or neck injuries , according to Ron Marsico , spokesman for the Port Authority Trans-Hudson -LRB- PATH -RRB- service .

Alex Rodriguez , 30 , was on his way to work when he saw the malfunction on the opposite escalator and immediately took out his phone to capture a video .

`` Everyone started looking around and then it starts to go down at an accelerated rate , '' Rodriguez told CNN . `` At that point , people started piling up towards the bottom and could n't get off the escalator fast enough . ''

Rodriguez 's video footage showed commuters struggling to climb up the fast-moving escalator . Rodriguez said the escalator finally stopped after a minute .

`` You could hear people screaming , people were jumping off the sides , '' said Rodriguez . `` People lined up against the wall at the bottom -LRB- were -RRB- crying after they got off . ''

PATH officials are investigating whether the effects of Superstorm Sandy played a role in Monday 's incident , according to a PATH statement . Neither the statement nor Marsico specified why officials think the storm 's after-effects might manifest themselves in an escalator accident .

`` As a precaution , PATH has suspended escalator service at Exchange Place through -LRB- Tuesday -RRB- morning , '' said Marsico . `` In addition , workers are reviewing all PATH escalators throughout the system . ''

While that station 's escalators are out of the service , the station remains open , with customers directed to stairs and elevators .

Rodriguez , the witness , said that since Sandy , the Jersey City PATH station hit by Monday 's incident has had major issues . `` To see something like that happen was really icing on the cake , '' he said .

The conditions of those injured , including the three taken to hospitals , could not be determined Monday afternoon .

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`` You could hear people screaming , people were jumping off the sides , '' says a witness

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Three are taken to hospitals after the accident at Exchange Place station in Jersey City

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Officials shut down escalator service at the station until Tuesday

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Officials said escalators would be checked throughout the PATH system